What makes your head hurt. Headache (headache)

Daily headache is a symptom that accompanies a number of pathologies, observed in people of different ages and both sexes. The appearance of headaches every day may indicate damage to the ear, throat or paranasal sinuses, pathology of the spine, the development of brain tumors, and a change in the ratio of hormones. If you have cephalalgia, you should see a doctor.

Causes of daily cephalalgia

The reason for the appearance of the described feature is whole line pathologies:

tension cephalalgia;
rise in blood pressure;
low pressure;
damage to the nose and paranasal sinuses.

Depending on the cause, it can hurt in different areas and be accompanied by nausea, an increase in body temperature.

Localization	Pathological condition	Mechanism of occurrence
	Damage to the nose and paranasal sinuses	Intoxication with viral particles
	Viral infections	Intoxication with viral particles
	Eye damage	Eye muscle tension
	Shingles	Damage to nerve endings
	Inflammation of the trigeminal nerve	Damage to nerve endings
	Blood pressure drops	Decreased blood flow in the brain
	Ear pathology	Purulent intoxication, impaired pressure regulation in the ear cavities
	High blood pressure	Deterioration of blood supply to the brain
	Low pressure	Deterioration of blood supply to the brain
	Pathological changes in the spine	The vessels carrying blood to the brain are pinched
	HDN (tension headache)	The blood supply to the brain suffers as a result of muscle spasm

Chronic headache disrupts a person's usual way of life, contributes to the occurrence of irritability and depression. This, in turn, increases the incidence of cephalalgia attacks.

Cephalalgia in the forehead

Cephalalgia in the forehead is provoked by viral infections, infections of the ears, paranasal sinuses. The entrance gate for the virus is the nose and throat. Entering the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, the virus begins to multiply in them. A local inflammatory reaction develops almost immediately.

Viral upper respiratory tract infections. This condition is characterized by the following symptoms:

headache in the forehead;
pain is moderate in intensity;
an attack of pain lasts for several hours;
the headache is accompanied by a sore throat;
stuffy nose;
there is a mucous or purulent discharge from the nose;
the body temperature rises.

Treatment of chronic headache in this case begins with taking antiviral drugs and drops to reduce swelling of the nasal mucosa.

ENT infections. A viral infection often gives complications in the form of inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. In this case:

the head will hurt in the cheekbones;
the nose is constantly stuffy;
disturbed by constant tinnitus;
there is a "squelching in the nose."

The face swells in the forehead or cheekbones (over the affected sinus).

Eye pathology. Every day, the head hurts badly with eye pathology. This happens when accommodation is disturbed. In this state, a person is forced to strain their eyesight when reading, writing, performing any work with small details. The muscles in the eye work hard to improve the clarity of vision. As a result, there is a spasm of the muscular apparatus of the eye, the appearance of discomfort.

The patient himself in this case notices the occurrence of this condition after work. It is felt as heaviness and a feeling of fatigue. What to do in this case? This pathology is treated by the selection of glasses.

Cephalalgia in the temple area

Why does the head hurt in the temples? Cephalalgia of this localization most often occurs as a result of nerve damage. It arises as a complication after any inflammatory process, transferred infectious inflammation, stay in a draft, in an oblique rain, against the background of nervous stress. An everyday attack can begin after brushing your teeth, chewing, or awkwardly touching the skin.

The attack in this case has a short-term (can last up to 5-10 minutes) shooting character. The attacks are repeated several times in a row. Sometimes a chain of small bubbles with transparent contents appears on the skin of the face. In places where they appear on the skin, severe itching begins.

Cephalalgia in the occiput

The head hurts in the back of the head and is sick when the blood flow from the brain is disturbed. This may be due to the pathology of the spine, congenital anomalies of the vessels carrying blood to the brain, and increased intracranial pressure.

Hormones also affect the tone of the vessels carrying blood to the brain. Often women after childbirth complain of daily headaches. This may be due to fluctuations in hormones. These attacks, as a rule, stop some time after hormonal harmonization.

Cephalalgia of tension. This pathology occurs in men and women with the same frequency. The causes of its occurrence can be nervous overstrain, prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position (for example, while working at a computer, while doing heavy physical work). After childbirth, a headache occurs with an uncomfortable position while feeding the baby.

Symptoms of HDN:

has a compressive character;
feeling of compression of the head outside;
noise in ears.

Most often, the sensations in this state are not intense, they represent a feeling of heaviness in the head. Can last up to several hours a day. However, in some patients, they continue for several weeks without interruption.

If every day the head hurts for a long time, he has certain psychological problems:

there is a feeling of anxiety, expectation of an attack;
mood worsens;
there are notes of depression.

The patient becomes suspicious. It is especially hard for men to endure such suffering.

Spine pathology. Pathological changes in the spine entail a disruption in the blood supply to the brain tissue, after which the head hurts. Among the pathologies of the spine, there are:

osteochondrosis;
violation of posture;
neck injuries.

Unpleasant sensations with lesions of the spine are localized in the neck and back of the head. They are shooting, sharp. They occur after a long stay in the wrong position (for example, lying down reading). With a sharp turn of the neck to the side, a short-term strengthening of them appears with irradiation to the back of the head, ear. Unpleasant sensations are complemented by the feeling of "sinking the earth from under your feet." Nausea, vomiting, and tinnitus may occur.

Cephalalgia with arterial hypertension. Blood pressure surges occur against the background of chronic stress, the abuse of salty foods, and heredity matters. People of working age and older people suffer from it.

Headache and dizziness in the following situations:

with a sharp increase in pressure;
with a sharp decrease in pressure after taking the medication;
in the event of complications in the form of cerebrovascular accident.

A sharp increase in pressure is characterized by the onset of cephalalgia in the occipital region. It has a contractive character. It increases with the slightest movement of the neck. The condition is accompanied by nausea, vomiting. Dizziness occurs in the form of impaired coordination of movement, there is a feeling as if the earth is floating from under your feet. At the peak of nausea, vomiting occurs, after which the patient's condition does not improve.

Survey

After a full examination, the doctor will help to establish the reason why the head hurts every day.

Research method	What will help you discover
Keeping a blood pressure diary. The patient measures it three times a day.	We determine the fluctuations in the pressure figures, we fix its sharp jumps
General blood analysis	The presence of an inflammatory process, anemia
General urine analysis	The presence of an inflammatory process
X-ray of the skull, spine	Dystrophic changes in bones, the presence of tumors
Computed tomography, MRI	Dystrophic changes in bones, the presence of tumors, the state of the blood supply to the brain
Study of cerebral vessels	The state of the blood supply to the brain, the presence of tumors

Very often, the doctor begins to suspect why a chronic headache occurs after a thorough questioning and examination of the patient.

Treatment

You need to start treating seizures by following simple recommendations:

in the cold season, avoid hypothermia;
do not read lying down;
after each hour of work, it is better to do a small warm-up;
be examined by an ophthalmologist on time, if necessary, purchase glasses;
do not self-medicate colds.

If you have a headache every day you need to:

remove a tight hair clip, hat;
take a comfortable position - lie down, sit down;
dim bright lights;
turn off loud music;
try to relax.

You can massage the temples, back of the head and forehead. You can stretch your ears with gentle movements. Medications best taken after consultation with a specialist. If you cannot endure, you can try decoctions of medicinal herbs according to the indication.

Headache is a symptom common to many diseases. Unpleasant sensations can be pressing or Constant discomfort in the head area negatively affects a person's life. In most cases, memory impairment, inability to think clearly, decreased concentration, drowsiness, nausea, and loss of balance are noted.

Constant headaches negatively affect a person's life. Such a state changes the usual daily routine and does not allow full development and work. If discomfort in the head area becomes frequent and unbearable, a medical examination is necessary. In no case should you self-medicate, since a headache can be a symptom of a serious illness.

Depending on the mechanism of occurrence, the following main types of cephalalgia are distinguished:

We talked in more detail about headaches caused by smoking in.

Causes of occurrence

Headache is dangerous because it can be the result of many serious diseases, on the timely diagnosis of which a person's life depends. Constant discomfort in the head area is almost always associated with impaired cerebral circulation, which can occur for the following reasons:

Everyday headaches are most often caused by the first three reasons, so they deserve a more detailed description.

Arterial hypertension

Severe headache of a throbbing or pressing nature occurs due to narrowing of the blood vessels. The normal blood pressure is considered to be 120/80 mm Hg. Art. Small deviations are allowed, however, if a person's blood pressure is constantly above normal, this can cause the development of permanent cephalalgia. As a rule, painful sensations occur immediately after waking up and can be aggravated by bad weather, excessive physical exertion, or loud noises.

The main symptom of cephalalgia is severe bursting pain in the temporal and occipital regions. Such a pathological condition is often accompanied by nausea, impaired attention and hearing, and dizziness.

High blood pressure poses a direct threat to a person's life, since it can provoke the development of a stroke or myocardial infarction. If your head hurts every day, the first step is to start controlling your blood pressure.

Tumors of the central nervous system

Approximately 5% of malignant neoplasms of the main organ of the central nervous system are accompanied by constant painful sensations. When the tumor reaches a critical size, the volume of the brain increases and intracranial pressure increases, which provokes discomfort in the head area.

As a rule, the most strong pain celebrated in the morning. It can be accompanied by vomiting and mainly appears in that part of the head that is affected by the tumor. Often this condition is accompanied by drowsiness or, conversely, insomnia, darkening in the eyes, loss of balance. A characteristic feature pathology is an increase painful sensations while sneezing or coughing.

Pregnancy

Women in position often complain of constant headache. Unpleasant sensations arise due to the intoxication of the mother's body with the waste products of the baby, as well as due to changes in the level of hormones. A similar condition occurs in the first or last trimester of pregnancy, more often as a migraine or tension headache.

A neurological disorder usually occurs as a result of some irritating factor, such as bright light or loud sound. As a result, the woman experiences nausea and general weakness... In addition, migraines can cause a lack or excess of sleep, changes in the weather, etc. Such a neurological disease does not pose a threat to a woman's life. As a rule, discomfort goes away if the irritating factor is eliminated.

Pregnant women also experience daily tension headaches, accompanied by a feeling of tightness over the entire surface of the head and aching sensations in the back of the head. This type of cephalalgia often occurs due to improper body position, provoking muscle strain, overwork, or stress.

You should be careful about the accompanying symptoms, because later dates pain may be associated with high blood pressure and impaired performance of cardio-vascular system, which is very dangerous for the life of the mother and the unborn child.

This state is called preeclampsia... If a pregnant woman has nausea, throbbing in the temples or the occipital region, swelling of the extremities, insomnia shortly before childbirth, it is recommended to urgently consult a doctor for an examination.

Therapy

To cure persistent headaches means to eliminate the cause, the disease itself, which provoked this alarming symptom. Frequent use of analgesics, for example, "Ibuprofen" or "Tempalgin", will not solve the problem, although it will significantly alleviate the condition.

How to treat cephalalgia with arterial hypertension

If a person is worried about high blood pressure, resulting in a headache every day, first of all, you should see a doctor, and not self-medicate. After a thorough examination, the specialist will prescribe the appropriate drug.

Among the drugs that relieve unpleasant symptoms, they note:

Calcium channel blockers ("Amlodipine", "Verapamil").
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (Captopril, Benazepril).
Diuretics, that is, drugs that have a diuretic effect ("Indapamide", "Furosemide").
Beta-blockers (Anaprilin, Metoprolol).

The normalization of high blood pressure is promoted by hawthorn tincture. To achieve the necessary effect, it is enough to take 20-30 drops before meals three times a day. This healing agent can be combined with the pills prescribed by your doctor. Permanent and correct reception special preparations not only normalizes blood pressure, but also eliminates cephalalgia.

How to treat a tumor headache

It should be noted that traditional remedies for getting rid of discomfort in the head area caused by a malignant neoplasm will be powerless. The patient is examined at the oncological center, after which the doctor decides on further treatment. If the tumor can be removed surgically, an operation is prescribed. Otherwise, craniotomy is performed.

How to get rid of headaches during pregnancy

Taking conventional drugs in this case is not always justified. The expectant mother is advised to refrain from using medications unless it is necessary. When you cannot get rid of the headache on your own, you need to contact your doctor. In rare cases, a specialist may recommend taking "Paracetamol" or "Ibuprofen" in small doses. You need to be careful with the latter, since in late pregnancy, the drug can have a negative effect on the work of the baby's heart and lungs. Combined pain relievers ("Pentalgin» , "Spazmalgon» ) use during pregnancy is contraindicated.

The following guidelines can help relieve tension associated with headaches:

If you follow these recommendations, not only the headache will go away, but also the feeling of fatigue, drowsiness and nausea. From folk remedies such a medicinal herb as maiden feverfew helps well, since it contains a large number of substances that relieve vascular spasms. Rosemary brewed with tea also helps relieve pain.

Prophylaxis

If cephalalgia bothers you every day, you need to evaluate your lifestyle and make changes to existing habits.

To prevent the development of headaches, it is recommended to observe the following rules:

Conclusion

Some types of cephalalgia are quite rare, while others accompany a person throughout his life. Some do not require treatment or other intervention, and some need to be carefully examined. If a person is worried about a constant headache, the timely identification of provoking factors will help to immediately begin treatment and prevent serious complications.

On their own, taking painkillers (including, on the recommendations of a friend in misfortune, who is also familiar with the problem of frequent headaches). See your doctor!

For what reasons a headache can often occur

The head may ache due to disturbances in the tone of the arteries and veins that form the vascular system. Also, the cause may be blood pressure - hypertension.

Migraines are often the cause of frequent headaches. The nature of this is still not fully understood. In most cases, migraine attacks begin suddenly, and the pain syndrome rapidly increases, spreading to the frontal or temporal part of the half of the head. It is impossible to predict when the next attack will begin.

Other symptoms of migraine are exacerbation of smell, painful perception of light, irritability, numbness of the limbs.

Frequent headaches can also occur due to atherosclerosis of the arteries that feed the brain. In addition, a common cause of this phenomenon is osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, leading to compression of the artery. It also happens that headaches are triggered by congestion in the muscles of the neck and upper shoulder girdle.

The head can often hurt due to severe intoxication of the body as a result of a number of chronic diseases, as well as due to trauma. In some cases, frequent headaches are caused by complications during pregnancy.

Finally, the most dangerous cause of frequent headaches is malignant neoplasms in the brain. This disease requires immediate medical attention.

Why you should definitely consult a doctor with frequent headaches

Only a specialist can establish the reason why a person suffers from frequent headaches. Therefore, you should not take painkillers on your own, even on the recommendation of well-known people whom they have effectively helped. After all, these drugs can help well in one disease and turn out to be of little use, if not completely useless in another.

In addition, any medicine has its own contraindications, which the doctor should warn about.

If the pain is caused by malignant neoplasms, treatment should be started as soon as possible. Delay can be very costly.

Headache may be associated with hypertension. This is a chronic condition of the cardiovascular system, a disease characterized by a persistent increase in blood pressure (abbreviated designation - BP) from 140/90 mm Hg. Art. and higher. Arterial hypertension affects about 20-30% of adults. This figure increases with age. About 50% of people over 60 years old have this chronic disease.

People with arterial hypertension have high blood pressure, headache in the early hours. The place of localization of pain is the occipital region. It is worth noting that painful sensations may not occur with a mild to moderate increase in pressure. They are always observed only with a rapid increase in blood pressure of more than 200/120 mm Hg. Art.

Arterial hypotension

If you often have a headache, what are the reasons? One of the answers to this question is arterial hypotension. This is a condition in which the blood pressure is 90/60 mm Hg. Art. and less. It is characterized by a headache. It can be blunt, constricting, bursting, or pulsating. The place of its localization is the fronto-parietal or fronto-temporal region. With arterial hypotension, the following symptoms are also observed:

weakness;
lethargy in morning hours drowsiness;
dizziness;
emotional instability;
sensitivity to weather conditions;
pallor;
palpitations and shortness of breath on exertion.

Specialists have created a classification of arterial hypotension. There are acute and chronic types. The latter is subdivided, in turn, into physiological, primary and secondary. Acute hypotension is a sharp drop in blood pressure. A similar condition is observed with blood loss, acute myocardial infarction.

Low blood pressure, a headache ... Such symptoms are noticed sometimes and absolutely healthy people... Athletes are an example. They have low blood pressure with constant physical exertion. This feature is an adaptive response of the body, a protective measure. This type of arterial hypotension is called physiological.

The primary species is considered an independent disease. It is not a consequence of any pathologies, it does not arise against the background of existing diseases. Doctors see primary hypotension as a special form of neurosis-like brain disease. But the secondary variety is observed when various diseases(for example, with heart failure, brain injury, arrhythmias).

Subarachnoid hemorrhage

Sudden diffuse or occipital pain may be associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage. With this term (abbreviated designation - SAK), experts designate the accumulation of blood in the cavity between the soft and arachnoid meninges. Hemorrhage occurs suddenly due to rupture of an arterial aneurysm or traumatic brain injury.

People who have experienced subarachnoid hemorrhage report that the pain that they experienced was the most severe of those that they encountered in their life. Other symptoms of SAH include nausea, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. With a hemorrhage, a person needs urgent medical attention. This is a very dangerous condition that can lead to death or severe disability.

Intracerebral hemorrhage

Diffuse or local intense pain can be a symptom of intracerebral hemorrhage. This is the ingress of blood into the substance. Hemorrhage occurs when the altered walls of the cerebral vessels rupture or during diapedesis (the release of blood elements from the vessels when their permeability and tone are impaired).

Who can face this dangerous condition? Most often, hemorrhage occurs in people in adulthood and old age due to cerebral atherosclerosis, hypertension. Much less often, the causes are blood diseases, inflammatory changes in cerebral vessels. Cerebral hemorrhage sometimes occurs in young people. The most common reason is drug use.

Brain formation

If you often have a headache, what are the reasons? An unpleasant symptom can be caused by various formations of the brain (hematomas, tumors, abscesses). The pain is most often diffuse. Sometimes it occurs in the place where the mass is localized. In the early stages of the disease, it makes itself felt in the morning hours and is weak. As the disease progresses, the nature of the pain changes. It becomes permanent and stronger. Other symptoms that indicate the presence of masses include:

vomiting without nausea;
the appearance of oculomotor disorders;
memory impairment;
behavior change, etc.

It should be noted that pain sometimes occurs when the head is tilted, coughing, straining, physical exertion. This symptom may be characteristic of tumors of the posterior cranial fossa. The pain that occurs in these situations and is short-term, can occur without intracranial pathologies.

Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses

If the head often hurts in the forehead area, a heaviness is felt near the nose, then this is sinusitis. This term refers to inflammation of the mucous membrane lining one or more paranasal sinuses. Sinusitis occurs as a complication of the flu, runny nose, infectious diseases. Bacteria and viruses provoke inflammation.

Pain and heaviness with sinusitis are not the only symptoms. Other signs of the disease are:

nasal congestion;
fever;
purulent nasal discharge;
soreness when tapping the area of the affected sinus.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma

The term "glaucoma" refers to an eye disease for which a symptom such as increased intraocular pressure is inherent. There are 2 forms of this ailment. One of these is called angle-closure glaucoma. It occurs due to contact between the trabecular meshwork and the iris. With an ailment, it becomes difficult for the outflow of intraocular fluid from the eye, and the functioning of the trabecular network is disrupted. As a result, intraocular pressure rises.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma is what some people have headaches every day. With this disease, people complain of pain in the eye area, the vision of rainbow circles around the light source, and blurred vision. Intraocular pressure is measured to confirm or exclude angle-closure glaucoma.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

When they can often consist in a long-term TBI. The pain can be painful for an extended period. Its character is dull, diffuse and intensified with physical exertion. Usually this symptom is accompanied by memory impairment, decreased attention, poor sleep, dizziness, fatigue and psychoemotional disorders.

In some cases, there are such suspicious signs as an increase in headache, drowsiness, confusion, changes in the size of the pupils, asymmetry of reflexes. They may not be the consequences of TBI, but symptoms of chronic subdural hematoma.

Tension headache

And the treatment of the disease is a very relevant topic today. What is meant by the named concept? This is a common type of primary pain. It is now called differently. Experts use a new term - tension-type headache.

This symptom can occur at any age. It begins to appear most often after 25 years. The pain of tension is characterized by moderate intensity. In almost all cases, it is bilateral, and the place of its localization is the temporal, frontal and occipital regions. The pain is characterized by a squeezing effect. It usually lasts from several minutes to several days. Vomiting is not observed. Sometimes there is nausea, sound and photophobia.

Tension headache, the symptoms and treatment of which is known to about 20% of the inhabitants of our planet, has a different etiology. The causes of pain are different:

getting into stressful situations;
sleep disturbance;
irregular meals;
too high or too low temperature the environment;
hormonal disorders;

Pain when taking medications

If you often have a headache, the reasons may lie in the medications you are taking. The agonizing symptom is caused by the following drugs:

vasodilators (calcium antagonists, nitrates, courantil);
anticonvulsants;
corticosteroids;
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory;
hypolipidemic;
antihistamines;
estrogens;
antibacterial.

Visit to a specialist

If headaches periodically torment, then you need to seek help. Life-threatening diseases can be hidden behind this symptom. If you often have a headache, which doctor can help? First you need to make an appointment with a therapist and tell him about your problem. It is very important to convey to the specialist all the important information, because the effectiveness of the treatment depends on this.

So, at the reception you should tell:

in which area of the head the pain is localized;
at what time of the day it makes itself felt;
when the pain first started (for example, a few days ago);
when the pain sensation becomes maximum;
what additional suspicious symptoms are observed with a headache;
Are any medications being taken?
how many pain attacks occur per day;
are there any diseases.

It is imperative to express your point of view about what caused the pain to arise. Maybe a few weeks (months, years) ago, there was an injury or blow to the head. This is very important information that will help the specialist determine the cause of the headache that is occurring.

The therapist, after hearing all the complaints, will prescribe the necessary examinations (blood test, X-ray, computed tomography, etc.). The doctor will also give a referral to the necessary specialist (for example, to an otolaryngologist in the presence of diseases related to the ear, throat, nose, head, to a neurologist to exclude or confirm ailments related to nervous system) to finally find out why the patient often has a headache.

The reasons (what to do, we described above) the appearance of such a symptom, as is clear from the above, are different. But summing up, it is worth noting that only 5% of patients who go to doctors with complaints of headache have serious diseases. Despite this, you should not refuse to make a visit to a specialist. The doctor will find out the real cause of the pain and give advice on how to get rid of this excruciating symptom.

Navigation

Headache is the most common signal from the body that it has physiological malfunctions or organic problems. Even his one-time appearance deserves attention. People who have regular or severe headaches need to undergo a thorough diagnosis and identify the causes of the symptom. In 10-20% of cases, the symptom turns out to be one of the secondary consequences of serious violations in the work of organs. Such situations require immediate initiation of adequate therapy. Otherwise, there is a high risk of developing chronic diseases or emergency conditions that can lead to a decrease in the quality of life, disability, and death.

Why does the head hurt

Pharmacies offer drugs for cephalgia, different in price, composition, type of action and rules of use. In some cases, they quickly relieve discomfort, in others they do not give the desired result. The effectiveness of funds depends not so much on their quality as on the suitability of a specific situation. The mechanism of development of pain in the head is different, it is for it that the medicine must be selected.

There are five common causes of a symptom:

muscle overstrain - the result of prolonged physical exertion or being in an uncomfortable position;
decreased functionality of cerebral vessels - pathological narrowing or expansion of blood channels, increased permeability or elongation of their walls. Excessive blood density, atherosclerotic plaques, tissue edema, tumors, blood clots increase the risks. They interfere with the normal blood flow, which disrupts metabolic processes;
violation of the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid - most often it is the result of compression of certain areas of the brain by a cyst, hematoma, tumor, displaced bone;
failures of a neuralgic nature - appear when nerve fibers are irritated (infringement, squeezing, malnutrition, infection);
the action of psychogenic factors - the consequences of mental disorders in the form of depression, apathy, stress, genetic diseases, chronic fatigue.

One-time or regular headache can occur under the influence of two hundred more factors. This list includes smoking, drinking alcohol, consuming unhealthy foods and consuming caffeine.

Cephalalgia is the result of prolonged exposure to heat, in conditions of high humidity. Often, a headache occurs due to a lack or excess of sleep, wearing improperly fitted glasses, contact lenses. The danger is presented by rigid diets, head injuries, hypothermia, slagging of the body.

Symptoms

Headache manifests itself in different ways. Its intensity, localization, character are influenced by provoking factors, the mechanism of development, stage, features of the course of pathology. An experienced physician is able to make a preliminary diagnosis based only on the specifics of the clinical picture.

A type pain in the head depends on the causes of cephalalgia:

vascular - most often the patient is tormented by pulsation or aching sensations. They are accompanied by dizziness, a decrease in the quality of vision. The symptom increases with a change in body position, physical activity, bending;
liquorodynamic - the pain rolls in waves, resembles pressure from within. Supplemented by nausea, dizziness, weakness, general deterioration in health;
neuralgic - acute and sharp cephalalgia of a local nature. Often, when you press on the affected area, the sensations intensify, become cutting or piercing, unbearable. Skin sensitivity on problem area increases or decreases. The symptom does not respond well to taking conventional analgesics, it may persist for several days or weeks;
tension - constant, moderate or weak, aching. It is accompanied by irritability, dizziness, aching neck. It passes quickly after a light massage of the neck area or rest;
psychogenic - able to acquire the most different kind, supplemented by obsessive states, a decrease in mental abilities.

In each case, a special therapy is required, selected by a specialized doctor. If you suddenly have a headache, you can try to cope with it. folk ways or taking analgesics. If there is no effect or the symptom resumes soon, it is worth seeking medical help.

The most common reasons why a head hurts

Doctors identify dozens of factors, the action of which can lead to the appearance of cephalalgia. This list includes not only head diseases, but also pathologies of distant localization. Separately, it is worth mentioning five conditions - they account for about 95% of all cases of a symptom. You should not diagnose yourself on your own, even when clinical picture obvious. Some diseases follow a similar scenario, but require different approaches to treatment. It is better to visit a specialist initially and strictly follow his instructions.

Tension headache

If, for no apparent reason, a headache persists for a long time, this diagnosis should be considered first. Feelings occur in the afternoon or after a long stay in an uncomfortable position. They look like pressure due to tight hairstyles or tight headgear. Most often, the pain covers the skull like a hoop. Initially, only one side of the head or the frontal part hurts, gradually the symptom spreads along the perimeter. It is supplemented by dizziness, decreased mental activity, and impaired attention.

To get rid of the problem, it is enough to breathe fresh air, relax, drink a soothing tea. Long-term, persistent sensations indicate a violation of blood flow. In this case, you may need to take medications to protect nerve cells, increase brain activity, improve circulation (nootropics, neuroprotective agents).

Migraine

A neurological disease of a vascular nature is more often diagnosed in women of childbearing age. It manifests itself in the form of cephalalgia, nausea and vomiting at the peak of sensations, an increased reaction to external stimuli. The head usually hurts on one side, the sensations are pulsating, intense, amplified by loud sounds, pungent odors. The attacks last from 2-4 hours to 3 days. In a quarter of cases, they are preceded by an aura. Depending on the case, the head hurts every few months or up to several times a week. Complex therapy is required, aimed at alleviating the patient's condition and preventing subsequent exacerbations.

Histamine headache

The disease is also called Hortonian or cluster cephalalgia. It is especially susceptible to middle-aged men of strong constitution, drinking alcohol, with an impressive smoking history. The pain has one-sided localization, radiates to the eyeball, lasts from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Sensations are sharp, sharp, burning. They prevent the person from going about their usual activities and respond poorly to any type of medication. The onset of an attack may be preceded by lacrimation, nasal congestion, dull pain in the head, drooping of the upper eyelid in one eye.

Occipital headache

With the localization of cephalalgia in the back of the head, there is a high probability of disruption of the process of blood flow to the brain. This often happens due to problems in the cervical spine. The picture in this case is complemented by dizziness, soreness and crunching in the neck, decreased skin sensitivity, numbness in the fingers. The patient has a headache mainly in one place, but sensations are given to the ear, jaw, eye or shoulder from the affected side. The symptom builds up during the day and gets worse over time. It is exacerbated by sudden movements, tilting, turning the head.

The therapy involves combating pathological changes in the spine with the help of chondroprotectors, massage, physiotherapy, exercise therapy. Additionally, the patient is prescribed medicines to normalize the work of blood vessels in the brain, protect nerve cells from toxins, improve circulation in tissues.

Arterial hypertension

With increased pressure, the head can hurt in different places.

Cephalalgia is bursting or pulsating, constant or growing. It is accompanied by nausea, flashing of flies in front of the eyes, redness of the face, changes in the frequency and quality of breathing, increased heart rate. To confirm the diagnosis, it is sufficient to measure blood pressure. Treatment is carried out strictly under the supervision of a physician. The fight against arterial hypertension is not limited to taking medications. Changes in the diet must be introduced, measures are taken to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood.

Diagnostics

The peculiarities of the manifestation of diseases allow the doctor to make a preliminary diagnosis. Then various research methods are applied, which are designed to confirm or refute the suspicions. Only after that a treatment regimen is developed, aimed not at cephalalgia, but at its cause.

Headache diagnostics can include the following activities:

MRI and / or CT;
Ultrasound of the vessels of the brain and neck;
EEG, REG;
x-ray of the head and neck;
lumbar puncture.

General and biochemical blood tests are mandatory. They help to assess the composition of biological material, its viscosity, cholesterol level, and exclude the presence of infection in the body.

Drugs that can treat headaches

If possible, you should consult your doctor before taking any medication. When a sudden headache occurs, it is better to start the fight against the symptom with the safest and most affordable approaches - rest, a walk on fresh air or airing the room, tea with lemon and sugar. Massage of the head and neck area, inhalation of aromatic oils or rubbing them into whiskey give a good effect.

If you still have a bad headache, you can use the following drugs:

NSAIDs - Ibuprofen, Aspirin;
analgesics - "Paracetamol", "Pentalgin";
antispasmodics - "No-Shpa", "Baralgin";
hypotensive - only after measuring blood pressure and preferably those that were previously prescribed by a doctor;
nootropics - "Piracetam", "Phenibut".

Specialists have developed a simple and affordable program for the prevention of cephalalgia. To never have a headache, it is enough to lead healthy image life, walk a lot in the fresh air, play sports, observe the daily regimen and refuse to use harmful products. You should also be attentive to your health, and promptly contact doctors with complaints. You can not self-medicate - it is recommended that you agree with a healthcare professional to take any medications.

It is difficult to find a person who does not have a headache at least from time to time. A single occurrence of a symptom is not a reason for panic. Unpleasant sensations after a day of work or stress indicate the body's need for rest and relaxation. Sometimes colds or inflammatory diseases begin with cephalalgia. With a pain in the head, the body reacts to poisoning with toxins, slagging, changes in weather conditions. The main thing is not to grab the pills every time, even if it is not clear what triggered the symptom. Self-experimentation poses a great risk to the body and complicates the diagnosis process for doctors.

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